Fluorescent lampholder



p 1956 R. EISENHARDT 3,271,569

FLUORESCENT LAMPHOLDER Filed May 4. 1964 26 j P 24 24 '4 t 4 F I G. 2. Fl 6. 3.

INVENTOR. RICHARD EISENHARDT ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,271,569 FLUORESCENT LAMPHOLDER Richard Eisenllardt, Cheltenham, Pa., assignor to H. H. Fluorescent Parts, Inc., Qheltenlram, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 4, 1964, Ser. No. 364,394 Claims. (Cl. 240-5111) This invention relates to improvements in a lampholder, and more particularly concerns a lampholder for tube-type lamps, such as fluorescent lamps.

Conventional fluorescent lampholders are tombstone shaped and have straight side walls which are parallel. These lampholders are mounted on socket plates by means of a screw and nut.

When such lampholders are mounted in a closed slot, or T-slot, of a socket plate, the upright portion of the conventional lampholder must be pushed head first through the open slot in a direction perpendicular to the plane of that slot. Open slots in socket plates are not generally made to close tolerances. Therefore, if the slot is too small, it becomes difiicult to push the lampholder into its proper position.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved lampholder which slides easily into position through an open slot in a socket plate.

It is another object to provide a lampholder which has means for attachment to a socket plate, said attaching means being other than, or in addition to, a screw and nut.

It is another object to provide a lampholder which is attractive in appearance, and which is less expensive because it uses less plastic material than does a conventional lampholder.

It is another object of this invention to provide a lampholder which is adapted for use with conventional socket plates without requiring expensive socket plate die changes, and which is universal in its application in that the lampholder may be mounted in a closed slot or an open slot and may be mounted with or without a screw and nut.

Other objects and advantages of this invention, including its simplicity and economy, as well as the ease with which it may be adapted to existing equipment, will further become apparent hereinafter and in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a lampholder constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the lampholder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in rear elevation of the lampholder;

FIG. 4 is a view in bottom plan of the lampholder;

FIG. 5 is a view in front elevation showing the position of the lampholder as mounted in a closed slot of a socket plate; and

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective showing a socket plate with a number of lampholders and lamps mounted thereon.

Although specific terms are used in the following description for clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the structure shown in the drawings and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention.

Turning now to the specific embodiment of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings, there is shown a lampholder 11 for an electric lamp of the tube type, such as the fluorescent lamps 12 shown in FIG. 6.

Lampholder 11 comprises a housing 13 which is molded of a plastic insulating material and has a base portion 14 and an upright portion 15. Upright portion 15 has a front Wall 16, a rear wall 17 and side walls 18 which form a recess therein, and has an opening 21 in front wall 16 that provides access, to the recess, for a lamp base.

Side walls 18 are tapered inwardly from the bottom toward the head of upright portion 15 so that upright portion 15 may be easily inserted in a head first fashion into a closed slot 22 of a socket plate 23.

A pair of spaced-apart support shoulders 24 project from each of the side walls 18. Base portion 14 of housing 13 has a ledge 25 extending outwardly from each side wall 18, and has a porch 26 extending forwardly of front wall 16. Support shoulders 24 are spaced away from ledges 25 to form a pair of support slots 27 on each side of housing 13. Slots 27 are adapted to receive and hold side edges 28 of closed slot 22.

Support shoulders 24 have a bottom surface which is parallel to the top surface of ledges 25 so that, after lampholder 11 is mounted in socket plate 23, the support shoulders 24 and ledges 25 prevent movement by lampholder 11 through the socket-plate slots 22 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of socket plate 23.

Extending downwardly from porch 26 is a nut and screw mounting portion 31 which includes a bottom wall 32 connected to porch 26 by a pair of spaced-apart vertical walls 33.

It is to be realized that words such as vertical, bottom, top, and horizontal are used in this specification to describe the lampholder as it appears in the drawings, but that the lampholder 11 may be mounted at attitudes other than that shown in the figures.

Porch 26 and bottom wall 32 have vertical slots 34 formed therein to allow for passage of a screw 35. Vertical walls 33 have a groove 36 formed therein extending outwardly of vertical slots 34. Grooves 36 are adapted to receive a nut 37.

In the assembly operation, lampholder 11 is inserted head first into closed slot 22 of socket plate 23, and support shoulders 24 are passed through shoulder openings 38 formed in side edges 28 of closed slot 22. This insertion is made easy by the tapered construction of side walls 18 which enable this insertion to be accomplished even though slot 22 may be slightly too small.

Then lampholder 11 is moved rearwardly so that its support slots 27 receive and hold side edges 28 of closed slot 22, with porch 26 of lampholder 11 covering the portion of closed slot 22 which is forward of the lampholder upright portion 15, thereby preventing an unsightly gap.

If the closed slot 22 is too large for lampholder 11 so that support slots 27 do not grip and hold edges 28 of slot 22, lampholder 11 may be attached to socket plate 23 by means of screw 35 and nut 37.

Shoulder openings 38 are spaced from rear edge 41 of slot 22 a sufiicient distance to permit sliding support slots 27 onto side edges 28 of slot 22.

The side edges 28 of slot 22 are provided with dimples 42 which fit snugly in support slots 27. Instead of dimples 42, side edges 28 of closed slot 22 may be curved in the direction perpendicular to the plane of slot 22 so as to fit snugly within slots 27, or the gauge of the metal of plate 23 may be such that slots 27 grip and hold edges 28 by friction.

The double support shoulders 24 on each side wall 18 provide a double support, which is more secure than that which would be obtained if only a single support shoulder 24 projected from each side wall 18. The tapered lampholder of the present invention does not require that extensive tool and die changes be made in the fabrication of the socket plate.

The tapered lampholder 11 may be mounted in an open slot (i.e., a slot with three edges: two side edges and a rear edge but no front edge) of a socket plate by merely sliding support slots 27 onto the side edges.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a presently preferred embodiment. Various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of parts. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts may be reversed, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

The claimed invention:

1. A fluorescent lampholder comprising a housing made of insulating material and having a base portion and an upright portion, the upright portion having front, rear and side walls forming a recess with an opening in the front wall providing access thereto for a lamp base, said side walls being tapered inwardly from bottom to head for easy insertion of said upright portion head first into a closed slot of a socket plate, a pair of spaced apart support shoulders projecting from each of the side walls, said base portion of the housing having a ledge extending outwardly from each side wall of the upright portion and said support shoulders being spaced away from said ledges to form a pair of support slots on each side of said housing which are adapted to receive and hold side edges of a closed slot of a socket plate, said support shoulders having a bottom surface parallel to the top surface of said ledges so that, after the lampholder is mounted in the socket plate, said support shoulders and ledges prevent movement of the lampholder through the socket-plate slot in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the socket plate, whereby the lampholder may be inserted head first into a closed slot of a socket plate and the support shoulders passed through shoulder openings therein, and then the lampholder may be moved rearwardly so that its support slots receive and hold the side edges of the closed slot of the socket plate, with the porch of the lampholder covering the portion of said closed slot which is forward of the lampholder upright portion, thereby preventing an unsightly gap.

2. A fluorescent lampholder comprising a housing made of insulating material and having a base portion and an upright portion, the upright portion having front, rear and side walls forming a recess with an opening in the front wall providing access thereto for a lamp base, said side walls being tapered inwardly from bottom to head for easy insertion of said upright portion head first into a closed slot of a socket plate, a pair of spaced apart support shoulders projecting from each of the side walls, said base portion of the housing having a ledge extending outwardly from each side wall of the upright portion and having a porch extending forwardly of said front wall, said support shoulders being spaced away from said ledges to form a pair of support slots on each side of said housing which are adapted to receive and hold side edges of a closed slot of a socket plate, said support shoulders having a bottom surface parallel to the top surface of said ledges so that, after the lampholder is mounted in the socket plate, said support shoulders and ledges prevent movement of the lampholder through the socket-plate slot in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the socket plate, and a nut and screw mounting portion extending downwardly from said porch and including a bottom wall connected to the porch by a pair of spaced apart vertical walls, said porch and bottom wall having vertical slots formed therein to allow for passage of a screw, said vertical walls having a groove formed therein extending outwardly of said vertical slots and adapted to receive a nut for said screw, whereby the lampholder may be inserted head first into a closed slot of a socket plate and the support shoulders passed through shoulder openings therein and then the lampholder may be moved rearwardly so that its support slots receive and hold the side edges of the closed slot of the socket plate, with the porch of the lampholder covering the portion of said closed slot which is forward of the lampholder upright portion, thereby preventing an unsightly gap, and whereby if said closed slot is too large for the lampholder it may be attached to the socket plate by means of the screw and nut.

3. A lampholder and socket plate assembly comprising a socket plate having a closed slot formed therein with front, rear and side edges, said side edges having a pair of spaced-apart shoulder openings formed therein adapted to pass support shoulders of a lampholder therethrough in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the closed slot, a lampholder having a housing made of insulating material and having a base portion and an upright portion, the upright portion having front, rear, and side walls forming a recess with an opening in the front wall providing access thereto for a lamp base, said side walls being tapered inwardly from bottom to head for easy insertion of said upright portion head-first into a closed slot of the socket plate, and a pair of spaced apart support shoulders projecting from each of the side walls, said base portion of the housing having a ledge extending outwardly of each side wall of the upright portion and having a porch extending forwardly of said front wall, said support shoulders being spaced away from said ledges to form a pair of support slots on each side of said housing which receive and hold the side edges of the socket-plate closed slot, said support shoulders having a bottom surface parallel to the top surface of said ledges so that, after the lampholder is mounted in the socket plate, said support shoulders and ledges prevent movement of the lampholder through the socket-plate slot in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the socket-plate, said shoulder openings being spaced from the rear edge of the closed slot a sufiicient distance to permit sliding the support slots onto the side edges of the closed slot, whereby the lampholder is inserted head first into the closed slot of the socket plate and the support shoulders passed through the shoulder openings therein, and then the lampholder is moved rearwardly so that its support slots receive and hold the side edges of the socket-plate closed slot, with the porch of the lampholder covering the portion of said closed slot which is forward of the lampholder upright portion, thereby preventing an unsightly gap.

4. The lampholder and socket plate assembly defined in claim 3, wherein the side edges of said socket-plate closed slot are curved in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the closed slot in order to fit snugly in the support slots.

5. The lampholder and socket plate assembly defined in claim 4, wherein a nut and screw mounting portion extends downwardly from said porch and includes a bottom wall connected to the porch by a pair of spaced apart vertical Walls, said porch and bottom wall have vertical slots formed therein to allow for passage of a screw, said vertical walls have a groove formed therein extending outwardly of said vertical slots and adapted to receive a nut for said screw, the vertical walls of said groove being sufiiciently close together to prevent turning of a nut inserted in the groove, said socket plate having a hole spaced from said closed opening and adapted to receive said screw, and a screw positioned in said socket-plate hole and said porch and bottom wall vertical slots and in mesh with a nut positioned in said groove.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,339,751 1/1944 Beal 339-53 2,563,146 8/1951 Wise 240 51.11 3,138,418 6/1964 Dazley etal 240 51.11

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

C. R. RHODES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLUORESCENT LAMPHOLDER COMPRISING A HOUSING MADE OF INSULATING MATERIAL AND HAVING A BASE PORTION AND AN UPRIGHT PORTION, THE UPRIGHT PORTION HAVING FRONT, REAR AND SIDE WALLS FORMING A RECESS WITH AN OPENING IN THE FRONT WALL PROVIDING ACCESS THERETO FOR A LAMPBASE, SAID SIDE WALLS BEING TAPERED INWARDLY FROM BOTTOM TO HEAD FOR EASY INSERTION OF SAID UPRIGHT PORTION HEAD FIRST INTO A CLOSED SLOT OF A SOCKET PLATE, A PAIR OF SPACED APART SUPPORT SHOULDERS PROJECTING FROM EACH OF THE SIDE WALLS, SAID BASE PORTION OF THE HOUSING HAVING A LEDGE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM EACH SIDE WALL OF THE UPRIGHT PORTION AND SAID SUPPORT SHOULDERS BEING SPACED AWAY FROM SAID LEDGES TO FORM A PAIR OF SUPPORT SLOTS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID HOUSING WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND HOLD SIDE EDGES OF A CLOSED SLOT OF A SOCKET PLATE, SAID SUPPORT SHOULDERS HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE PARALLEL TO THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID LEDGES SO THAT, AFTER THE LAMPHOLDER IS MOUNTED IN THE SOCKET PLATE, SAID SUPPORT SHOULDERS AND LEDGES PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE LAMPHOLDER THROUGH THE SOCKET-PLATE SLOT IN THE DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF THE SOCKET PLATE, WHEREBY THE LAMPHOLDER MAY BE INSERTED HEAD FIRST INTO A CLOSED SLOT OF A SOCKET PLATE AND THE SUPPORT SHOULDERS PASSED THROUGH SHOULDER OPENINGS THEREIN, AND THEN THE LAMPHOLDER MAY BE MOVED REARWARDLY SO THAT ITS SUPPORT SLOTS RECEIVE AND HOLD THE SIDE EDGES OF THE CLOSED SLOT OF THE SOCKET PLATE, WITH THE PORCH OF THE LAMPHOLDER COVERING THE PORTION OF SAID CLOSED SLOT WHICH IS FORWARD OF THE LAMPHOLDER UPRIGHT PORTION, THEREBY PREVENTING AN UNSIGHTLY GAP. 